After Innocence

After Innocence was awarded the Working Films Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in 2005, which included a cash prize and in-kind services to assist in the development of strategic outreach and audience engagement. These in-kind services were fulfilled in supporting the theatrical release in New York, where the film premiered in late November 2005.

In early December 2005, Working Films contracted with the filmmakers of After Innocence to create community engagement and organizational partnerships around the theatrical tour in Los Angles, CA. Through an extensive get the word out effort we were able to involve community, organizational, law, faith, university and individual allies in Los Angeles to organize and lead post-screening programs throughout the opening weekend.

Working Films directed the development of outreach with After Innocence following the theatrical release. Through a grassroots house party initiative in partnership with the Life After Exoneration Program (LAEP), the After Innocence campaign exposed the challenges faced by the exonerated, such as the hardship of finding employment and the stinging absence of state compensation for their wrongful convictions. With LAEP, we encouraged in-home screenings of the film, as well as community screenings in churches, schools and other venues.

After Innocence tells the dramatic and compelling story of the exonerated - innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and then released after DNA evidence proved their innocence. The film focuses on the gripping story of seven men and their emotional journey back into society and efforts to rebuild their lives. Included are a police officer, an army sergeant and a young father sent to prison and even death row for decades for crimes they did not commit.

The men are thrust back into society with little or no support from the system that put them behind bars. While the public views exonerations as success stories - wrongs that have been righted - After Innocence shows that the human toll of wrongful imprisonment can last far longer than the sentences served.

The film raises basic questions about human rights and society's moral obligation to the innocent and places a spotlight on the flaws in our criminal justice system that lead to wrongful conviction of the innocent. The film features exonerees Dennis Maher of Lowell, MA; Calvin Willis of Shreveport, LA; Scott Hornoff of Providence, RI; Wilton Dedge of Cocoa Beach, FL.; Vincent Moto of Philadelphia, PA; Nick Yarris of Philadelphia, PA; and Herman Atkins of Los Angeles, CA.

Work with prisoners and their families in your communityMany
exonerees and their families talk about how isolated and ignored
prisoners feel. Find a local group that works with prisoners and
volunteer to get involved however you’re needed – whether it’s helping
in a prison organization’s office or providing support to prisoners and
their families. For links to organizations providing a range of
services, go to http://prisonactivist.org/links/.